Bumgarner's performance encourages Giants

Left-hander Madison Bumgarner has seven quality starts this season and just four wins.

That's a ratio that is bound to improve, especially because he's supported by one of the National League's best run-producing lineups.

That attack fizzled in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals and Gio Gonzalez in 10 innings Wednesday, but at least Bumgarner was spared suffering a loss by a late Giants rally that tied the game and forced extra innings. He gave up just one run on four hits in seven innings.

Bumgarner, who started the season strongly, is clearly back on the beam, having handcuffed two of the NL's top teams -- the Nationals and Atlanta Braves -- among his last three starts.

Manager Bruce Bochy told reporters, "It's a tough loss today, but you have to be encouraged with how we played and pitched."

Bumgarner said, "We know what everybody can do. We're going to have some struggles here and there. I don't think anybody is too worried about it."

--RHP Tim Lincecum will face the Colorado Rockies for the third time this season Friday night. Suffice it to say, the Rockies are looking forward to the matchup much more than Lincecum is. Colorado has prevented Lincecum from having a halfway decent season, bombing him for 11 hits and 12 runs in 11 innings. The right-hander's seven other starts have been far better: 16 runs in 42 2/3 innings. When the teams met Saturday in Denver, Lincecum hurt his own cause with a throwing error that led to three third-inning runs.

--LHP Madison Bumgarner has seven quality starts this season and just four wins. That's a ratio that is bound to improve, especially because he's supported by one of the National League's best run-producing lineups. That attack fizzled against the Washington Nationals' Gio Gonzalez on Wednesday, but at least Bumgarner, who gave up just one run on four hits in seven innings, was spared suffering a loss by a late Giants rally that tied the game and forced extra innings. Bumgarner, who started the season strongly, is clearly back on the beam, having handcuffed two of the N.L.'s top teams -- the Nationals and Atlanta Braves - among his last three starts.

--3B Pablo Sandoval was feeling so far under the weather Tuesday that he hooked up to an IV to replenish his body fluids. He was a lot better after Tuesday night's game following a game-winning home run in the bottom of the 10th inning. The 464-foot blast was the longest of Sandoval's career. In the end, however, that didn't help his physical condition, so manager Bruce Bochy decided not to start him Wednesday. The hope: Using him just as a pinch-hitter against the Washington Nationals and with no game scheduled Thursday, Sandoval will be back at close to 100 percent before the Giants take the field again Friday in the opener of a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies.

--1B Brandon Belt suffered from Stephen Strasburg-itis on Tuesday night, claiming a stiff back contributed to his 0-for-4, two-strikeout performance that included a whiff with the bases loaded in the first inning. Apparently manager Bruce Bochy was listening. Facing another tough Washington Nationals pitcher on Wednesday -- left-hander Gio Gonzalez -- Bochy opted to give recent minor-league call-up Brett Pill a start at first base in the series finale. Belt's injury is not considered serious. In fact, he was deemed healthy enough to pinch-hit with the potential go-ahead run on second base in the eighth inning and hit the ball hard but was victimized by a great defensive play by Washington first baseman Adam LaRoche.

--2B Marco Scutaro came close to extending his hitting streak to 20 games Wednesday. In fact, he came close to sending the game against the Washington Nationals improbably into the 11th inning. But, alas, his high fly to left field against closer Rafael Soriano died at the base of the left-field wall, closing the door on a 2-1 loss. Roger Bernadina's catch ended Scutaro's hitting streak at 19 games in an almost unfair manner. He was denied two chances to hit Wednesday by walks.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's a tough loss today, but you have to be encouraged with how we played and pitched." -- Manager Bruce Bochy, after a 2-1 loss to Washington on Wednesday.

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MLB Team Report - San Francisco Giants - ROSTER REPORT

MEDICAL WATCH:

--RHP Santiago Casilla (right knee cyst) went on the 15-day disabled list May 21. He was scheduled to see a specialist May 22 and could be a candidate for surgery to resolve the problem.